The discovery, development and clinical applications of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor

The story of the discovery, development and applications of G-CSF illustrates many of the best features of modern laboratory and clinical investigation. The initial discovery of the CSFs was somewhat serendipitous. The pathway to understanding the cellular and molecular base for the action of these substances was long, but fruitful and exciting for those who pursued it tirelessly. The power of modern molecular biology is illustrated by the rapid advances which followed the cloning of the G-CSF gene. Major advances in our understanding of the regulation of neutrophil production and deployment have followed, together with many important clinical observations. To date hundreds of thousands of patients have been treated with G-CSF and some individuals with severe chronic neutropenia have received daily therapy for more than ten years. Results of recent studies suggest that there will be many more interesting and important clinical applications for G-CSF.